OSCE supports training for lawyers and judges on freedom of expression in Armenia

YEREVAN, 1 November 2011 –– Two OSCE-supported workshops for legal counsel and judges aimed to promote freedom of expression in Armenia started today in Yerevan.

The event was designed in response to the increasing number of court cases filed against Armenian media representatives on defamation charges. It aims to enhance the legal awareness of Armenian lawyers and judges on international freedom of expression standards, in order to ensure better implementation of the right to freedom of expression in Armenia. The discussions focus on defamation and insult, privacy, regulation of freedom of expression in the context of elections, contempt of court and court reporting.

The workshops are conducted by a senior legal expert from the London-based non-governmental organization ARTICLE 19, a top barrister from the UK, and a team of legal experts from the non-governmental organization Europe in Law Association (ELA).

Addressing the event participants, Carel Hofstra, the Deputy Head of OSCE Office in Yerevan, noted: “The decriminalization of defamation in Armenia in May 2010 was a significant step forward in advancing free speech. However, the practice of the law implementation shows that more needs to be done to achieve effective judicial protection of the right to free expression, and this is what the OSCE-supported seminars target at.”

“Any attempt to restrict the free flow of information and ideas in matters of legitimate public debate can lead to the violation of the freedom of expression and must be carefully scrutinized by the courts, Gavin Millar, the UK expert, said. “Speech should only be interfered with when a pressing social need to do so has been convincingly established, and all penalties for speech must be proportionate. I hope the workshops launched today will help the lawyers and judges to fully understand these important principles and to carry them into practice in the Armenian courts.”

Boyko Boev from the ARTICLE 19 said: “Lawyers and judges play a key role in a rule-of-law-based society. Individuals who believe to have been defamed turn to lawyers and judges to protect their reputation. Likewise, journalists need competent and independent judiciary to protect their right to free expression.” How to balance between conflicting interests, such as reputation and expression, and contribute to better use of legal safeguards for free and independent media, will be discussed at the event, he added.

The events are organized by the ELA with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, and the Armenian Representative Office of the American Bar Association CEELI Inc.

The workshop is the third major activity supported by the OSCE to enhance the level of protection of freedom of expression in Armenia. It follows a similar workshop held for journalists and the launch of a website (www.ela.am), which offers a useful database of materials related to freedom of expression matters, including summaries of more than 60 European Court of Human Rights cases in Armenian.